Software Process And Measurement Cast

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 476 features our interview with Kyle Siemens.  Kyle is CEO at Brightest. We discussed the case for certifications. The whole concept of certifications is a lightning rod for the excesses of agile and the Agile (big A) industry.  Mr. Siemens makes a strong argument for certification when done properly. Kyle’s Bio Kyle Siemens is an energetic, loyal and hard-working Canadian from Winnipeg, Manitoba. After completing my Bachelor's degree at the University of Manitoba in German literature and mathematics, I moved to Berlin in 2006 with a DAAD scholarship and got my Masters in communication and languages. After working several years at various agencies (running campaigns for national and international brands), I stumbled upon an incredible path by chance, which led me to where I am today - Online Marketing Volunteer of the TMMi Foundation and CEO of a global ISTQB exam provider called Brightest: www.brightest.org. Reach out to Kyle on LinkedIn Re-Read Saturday News This w

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 475 features the majority of the SPaMCAST Crew in a round robin discussion.  The recording session covered three topics; however, today we tackle the first topic: Whether agile can be used in other parts of the business.  We will return to the next two topics in February!  Six people with strong opinions. It is a pretty amazing discussion. Voices you often hear on the SPaMCAST include this cast of incredible minds: Gene Hughson (Architecture) Jeremy Berriault (Quality Assurance) Kim Pries (Software Development) Steve Tendon (Lean and Kanban) Jon M Quigley (Product Development) - not on this week’s cast Steven Adams (Agile Practitioner) Re-Read Saturday News This week we take a break from our re-read of Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability: An Introduction by Daniel S. Vacanti. Remember to buy your copy today and read along, and we will be back next week! Dead Tree Book https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098643633X/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creat

The Software Process and Measurement Cast 474 features our interview with Tom Henricksen.  Tom recently organized and executed the Agile Online Summit that I participated in.  We get the behind the scene story about how the Summit came together and how it enhanced the Agile community! Tom’s Bio Tom Henricksen is a speaker and career coach who leads others to turn their dreams into plans. Throughout Tom’s career, he has learned firsthand how hard it can be to find a good career match. As a result of his trials, he’s created a simple process designed to help find a career that inspires passion, encourages optimal performance, and results in profit. Website: http://myitcareercoach.com/ Online Agile Summit: https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/ Twitter: @TomHenricksen Facebook: Facebook profile LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhenricksen Re-Read Saturday News Chapter 9 of Daniel S. Vacanti’s Actionable  Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability: An Introduction (buy a copy today) is titled, “Flow Debt.”  

SPaMCAST 473 features our essay on 6 Important Flow Metrics!  Getting the most value out of a process is important to any leader.  Balancing getting the most value with getting value sooner complicates the discussion.  In some cases, getting some value sooner is worth more than the same value delivered later.  Guiding the delivery of value is more complicated than a rank ordering a list of user stories and then magically hoping that everything will happen in the most effective and efficient manner possible.  Measurement is an important tool to help teams and organizations ask the right questions.  The 6 flow metrics provide process transparency into organizations that leverage continuous flow, scrumban, and/or Scrum as the basis for their Agile implementations. We will also complete our discussion of part 3 (3 of 3) of chapter 20 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban  (buy a copy here). Re-Read Saturday News This week,  we

SPaMCAST 472 features our interview with Mike Harris.  We discussed his new book, The Business Value of Software. We discussed the definition of value and why value matters! In reality, software development, enhancements, and maintenance that don’t deliver value are a waste. Therefore it behooves all of us to understand value, how to recognize it, and how to measure it! Mike’s Bio Michael Harris brings a wide range of perspectives on IT, specifically in the area of delivering business value, to this book.  His international career has taken him from production management, through R&D, project management and academia to consulting before planting him firmly in charge of a large software engineering group for a public company.  It has been over ten years since he decided that he liked one of his former vendors so much that he would buy the company; and last year, he decided it was time to change the name of the company to reflect his passion.  In 2016, the David Consulting Group became DCG Software Value.

SPaMCAST 471 features our essay on the top 20 transformation killers.  Each transformation killer is a big deal, but if you combine two or more you are in big trouble. That said, forewarned is forearmed . . .hopefully? In the second spot, this week is Jeremy Berriault and the QA Corner!  Jeremy and I discussed involving testers in requirements.  The ultimate in shifting “left.”     In the third spot, Gene Hughson completes the cast by bringing a discussion of a recent missive, Systems Thinking Complicates Things.  Rock, paper, scissors, lizard, Spock and more! Re-Read Saturday News This week,  we tackle Chapter 6 of Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability: An Introduction by Daniel S. Vacanti. Chapter 6 is titled, Interpreting CFDs.  Learning to read CFDs provides teams and individuals with a huge amount of information through data visualization.  Chapter six continues to build on flow metrics, data visualization and Little’s Law.  Buy your copy today and read along! Catch up on the all the installments

SPaMCAST 470 features the return of Ben Linders. Ben and I discussed his new book, What Drives Quality.  Quality is something we all want and is required by our customers and clients BUT determining how we get quality is not easy!  We explored the definition of quality, who owns quality and what teams can do to deliver quality.  If you are into excellence in value delivery, this interview will inform and delight you.   Ben’s Bio: Ben Linders is an Independent Consultant in Agile, Lean, Quality, and Continuous Improvement, based in The Netherlands. Author of Getting Value out of Agile Retrospectives, Waardevolle Agile Retrospectives, What Drives Quality and Continuous Improvement. Ben is the creator of the Agile Self-assessment Game. As an adviser, coach and trainer he helps organizations with deploying effective software development and management practices. He focuses on continuous improvement, collaboration and communication, and professional development, to deliver business value to customers. Ben is an

SPaMCAST 469 features our essay on consensus decision-making.  Consensus decision-making is one of the most prevalent decision-making tools in organizations today. But, consensus decision-making has its plusses and minuses. We came to a consensus and decided to discuss the topic. Our second column this week is from Kim Pries (The Software Sensei).  Kim revisits the topic of cognitive biases.  Biases can blind us unless we are vigilant. Kim’s advice is to ask for data rather than just allowing our biases to decide for us. Our third column is via Steve Tendon, who will bring us part 2 (2 of 3) of our discussion of chapter 20 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban  (buy a copy here). Upcoming Appearances Metricas 2017 I will be keynoting on Agile leadership and delivering one my favorite presentations, Function Points and Pokémon Go 29 November 2017 Sao Paulo, Brazil ⇒ Register e-Read Saturday News This week we re-read Chapter

SPaMCAST 468 features the return of Johanna Rothman. Johanna and I discussed her new book, Create Your Successful Agile Project: Collaborate, Measure, Estimate, Deliver.  (Buy your copy today and support Johanna and the SPaMCAST).  Johanna provides incredibly useful and pragmatic insights for delivering value to your customers and stakeholders! Johanna Rothman, known as the “Pragmatic Manager,” provides frank advice for your tough product development problems. Johanna is the author of more than ten books, including: Create Your Successful Agile Project: Collaborate, Measure, Estimate, Deliver Agile and Lean Program Management: Scaling Collaboration Across the Organization Manage Your Project Portfolio: Increase Your Capacity and Finish More Projects, 2nd ed Diving for Hidden Treasures: Finding the Value in Your Project Portfolio (with Jutta Eckstein) Predicting the Unpredictable: Pragmatic Approaches to Estimating Project Schedule or Cost See more of Johanna’s writing on http://www.jrothman.com, and http:/

SPaMCAST 467 features our essay on value. Value is the most talked about and least understood concept in Agile. In terms of software development, enhancements, and maintenance, the value of a piece of work is the worth of the outcome that results from doing the work. In the second position is Jeremy Berriault and the QA Corner!  Jeremy discusses testing in difficult situations. Are there differences? Jeremy has the answers! Gene Hughson completes the cast by bringing a discussion of a recent missive, Management, Simple and Wrong – Semantics, Systems, and Self-Correction.  This entry at  Form Follows Function even includes a reference to Snidely Whiplash! Upcoming Appearances Metricas 2017 I will be keynoting on Agile leadership and then delivering one my favorites, Function Points and Pokémon Go 29 November 2017 Sao Paulo, Brazil ⇒ Register Re-Read Saturday News This week we re-read Chapter 3 of Actionable Agile Metrics for Predictability: An Introduction by Daniel S. Vacanti. Chapter 3 is titled An Introdu

SPaMCAST 466 features our interview with Ross Smith.  Ross and I discussed legacy application modernization.  Legacy application modernization delivers quantitative and qualitative value to organizations. Modernization can breath new life into old applications.  We also discussed why organizations sometimes avoid biting the modernization bullet! Ross Smith is Chief Architect at PITSS America.  He has been on the PITSS team for five years, a time during which the company transformed from an Oracle Forms upgrade vendor into a business process and application transformation provider.  He recently spoke at Oracle Open World about the untapped potential of leaving vital legacy applications out of a digital transformation strategy, and the realities of integrating them into a modern enterprise environment. Email: rsmith@pitss.com Web: https://pitss.com/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ross-smith-5427497 I am participating in the Agile Online Summit 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2017 At the summit, I talk about the power of

SPaMCAST 465 features our essay on re-booting teams. Not every team issue can be solved with a standard pallet of techniques. However, nearly every consultant (internal or external) will have set of tools that they have ready just in case. We discuss techniques and impacts! We will also have a column from Kim Pries (The Software Sensei).  Kim discusses why software structure can be a blessing and a curse. While Kim tends to favor structure there are times when it does not deliver the benefits promised. Steve Tendon brings Chapter 20 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban  (buy a copy here).  Our discussion of Chapter 20 was passionate and in depth.  It will be released in two or 3 parts. A promo! I am participating in the Agile Online Summit 30 Oct - 3 Nov 2017 At the summit, I talk about the power of storytelling with Tom Henricksen! ⇒ Register For other events SPaMCAST team members will be attending check the recent blog e

Agile Online Summit 30 Oct – 3 Nov 2017 The Agile Online Summit gives you a chance to see great agile speakers from your device. At the summit, I talk about the power of storytelling with Tom Henricksen! General Admission You will get access to all the content for the week of the conference. FREE VIP This ticket will give you access to the content after the conference concludes. You will also get access to some bonus materials provided by many of the speakers. 25.00 USD VIP + Group Training This ticket will give you access to the content after the conference concludes plus you will be enrolled in the agile group training. We will dive deeper into all of the topics covered over a ten-week 95.00 USD ⇒ Register at https://www.agileonlinesummit.com/

SPaMCAST 464 features our interview with Beth Leonard.  Beth and I talked about innovative thinking, risk-based reviews, the CMMI and making the software development process more effective and efficient. Beth is an incredible person for her innovative thinking in the software development world...and more! Ms. Beth Leonard is an executive with over 20 years of IT/IS management, quality assurance, and process improvement experience across the government contracting industry. She is an ITIL Expert, ISO Internal and External Auditor (ISO standards: 9001, 19011, 20000, 27001), A2LA accredited ISO/IEC 17020:2012 assessor, Black Belt Six Sigma, and PMP, and is an expert in CMMI-DEV, CMMI-SVC, and NIST 800.53 security controls. She has previously held positions in multiple areas of program/project, security, service management (e.g., ITIL), and is passionate about increasing customer satisfaction, implementing realistic best practices across organizations, and mentorship. Beth is an award-winning speaker in her field

SPaMCAST 463 features our essay on using big picture stories to generate resonance.  Early in the history of Agile, most descriptions of Agile included the need to define a central metaphor to help guide the work.  Somewhere over time, the idea of a central metaphor has disappeared as Agile thought leaders have focused on more tactical facets of Agile methods and frameworks. It’s time to reconsider the big picture story! We will also have columns from Gene Hughson of Form Follows Function fame.  Gene and I discuss his recent essay, Management, Simple and Wrong – Semantics, Systems, and Self-Correction.  This essay is about meaning and includes an appearance from Snidely Whiplash. Anchoring the cast, Jeremy Berriault brings the QA Corner to the podcast.  Jeremy and I discussed motivating testers. Testers like any other discipline require the correct care and feeding to effectively deliver value. Here is a promo for my upcoming ITMPI Webinar! Wed, Oct 18, 2017, 11:00 AM (EST) Product Owners In Agile – The Rea

SPaMCAST 462 features our interview with Jon M Quigley  We discussed his new book Project Management for Automotive Engineers. Jon co-authored the book with Roopa Shenoy. The book and the ideas in the book are relevant to all types of projects whether they use Agile or not!  A fun and informative conversation! Jon’s Bio: Jon M. Quigley PMP CTFL is a principal and founding member of Value Transformation, a product development training and cost improvement organization established in 2009, as well as being Electrical / Electronic Process Manager at Volvo Trucks North America.  Jon has an Engineering Degree from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and two Master Degrees from the City University of Seattle.  Jon has nearly twenty-five years of product development experience, ranging from embedded hardware and software through verification and project management. Jon has written or contributed to a huge number of books, presentations, and articles including: Project Management for Automotive Engineers

SPaMCAST 461 features our essay - Agile -- Leadership Required.  For an Agile transformation to be effective and then stay effective there are four cornerstones of Agile leadership constancy that must be addressed with passion and constancy of purpose. Our second column this week is from Kim Pries (The Software Sensei). Kim fills in the middle of the cast with a discussion of the conceptual skills a software developer should have. To be good in this industry you need to be more than a set of coding languages or testing techniques.   Steve Tendon, brings chapter 19 of Tame The Flow: Hyper-Productive Knowledge-Work Performance, The TameFlow Approach and Its Application to Scrum and Kanban published J Ross (buy a copy here). We tackle Chapter 19, which is titled Understanding Common Cause Variation.  Steve share insights that caused me rethink the whole idea of common cause variation. Here is a promo for my appearance during the Denver Startup Week.  On Thursday, September 28th at 8 AM I will be sharing Storytel

SPaMCAST 460 features our interview with Peter Varhol.  Peter and I discussed machine learning and AI, and how it will impact software development and testing.  We also discussed how anyone can stay current and enhance their careers. Peter’s Bio Peter Varhol is a well-known writer and speaker on software and technology topics, having authored dozens of articles and spoken at a number of industry conferences and webcasts. He has advanced degrees in computer science, applied mathematics, and psychology, and is Principal at his company, Technology Strategy Research, LLC. His past roles include technology journalist, software product manager, software developer, and university professor. Twitter: @pvarhol Blog: https://pvarhol.wordpress.com/ Email:peter@petervarhol.com A promo for 2017 Agile Leadership Summit: Mark your calendar for an entirely new class of business conference. More "business theater" than a conference, the 2017 Agile Leadership Summit (September 22nd in Washington, DC) is sponsored by AgileCxO (

SPaMCAST 459 features our essay on resistance.  Organizational change is a common, almost ubiquitous, feature in today’s business world. Change is known under many monikers ranging from transformation to creative destruction.  The variety of names is a portent to the one constant in any organizational change: resistance.  Some resistance is inevitable, even if everyone is involved in the plan.Organizational change will always foment some degree of resistance that unless recognized can fester and lead to failure. This essay will help you find and mitigate the risk of resistance! The second column this week is from Gene Hughson and his Form Follows Function column. Gene discusses his essay titled Innovation, Intention, Planning, and Execution. One of the gems Gene delivers in our discussion is that effectiveness requires reasoned, intentional action. While we might all agree, why is it so hard to remember that when push comes to shove in a project? Jeremy Berriault brings his QA Corner to the cast in order to

SPaMCAST 458 features our interview with Billie Schuttpelz.  We discussed why many organizations need help learning to use agile and lean.  We delved into the role of the coach and facilitator in helping an organization change and shape the message of change.  If you are involved in organizational transformations this is a must-listen interview. Billie’s short bio: Billie is a ‘force of nature’ breaking up the boulders blocking transformation; building bridges between technical people and business partners. She applies the perspective gained in a 20 year career including engagements in 5 countries to provide dynamic creativity and positive energy to everything she does. Billie’s ability to make the impossible seem possible is what powers agile transformations. We also have a promo for 2017 Agile Leadership Summit: Mark your calendar for an entirely new class of business conference. More "business theater" than conference, the 2017 Agile Leadership Summit (September 22nd in Washington, DC) is sponsored by Agil